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// 71 - One Drop Among Many 
// Story: Putting on a Silver Robe and Wizard Hat 
// by David Silver 
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Silver roused himself on his Earth bed and stretched out. He was dreaming. The knowledge was comfortable, but also meant no 'real' dreams for him. He wondered if that was healthy, but he didn't seem to have suffered for it so far. He could idle the night away, but he had business that called more urgently. He slid to the floor and threw open the door with his magic. The dreamworld was dark. Once he stepped outside, he fell.

As he fell, he could see there were countless drops, each with its own dream held perfectly inside. He hadn't seen this version of the dream world before, but thought it was kind of pretty, seeing them all come down like that. "Luna?"

She came, hovering before him as if she had always been there. "Silver? How strongly must I remind that this is not your place. You could come to harm."

Silver twitched an ear. "How? It's literally a dream. I didn't come for that. We have large issues, up in the Crystal Empire."

Luna raised a brow. "Is that not what you were sent for?"

Silver rolled a hoof. "Bigger than anything I can handle on my own, and I'm not ashamed to admit that. Sombra's right on the fence. I think we can talk him back into the light if we approach this carefully. On the other hoof, his shadow pals are playing vicious and no mercy. Someone could end up hurt, or worse."

Luna leaned in closer, nose almost touching. "We know you understand the idea of a true war. How bad is it?"

Silver spread his hooves and an image appeared, showing the injured Shining Armor, bleeding on the cobblestones. "We fear this attack was meant to include Night Watch and myself."

Luna went stiff before snorting through her nose. "What do you think should be done? You are our eyes and ears in this situation."

Silver considered a moment. "While I think Sombra may yet be redeemed, and worthy of the cause, his allies certainly aren't. So there are two things you can do. We need to find his foalhood friend as quick as we can." He thought of her strongly, and her image hovered over his head. "She's a unicorn with healing talents, which should be fairly unique. Crystal pony, if that isn't unique enough."

Luna suddenly smiled. "I know the one. She warned us of Sombra's activities long ago."

"That's the one!" Silver tried to swim, but there was no swimming, he was just falling, even as Luna hovered beside him. Perhaps that version of the dreamscape wasn't perfect, but which one was? "Convince her to come and help him. Number two, if Equestria can do without you for a little while, your direct help in confronting the shadows would be helpful in the immediate. They need war, the old-fashioned kind, and I know you're an old-fashioned kind of mare."

She raised a brow. "Are you implying something?"

Silver smiled at her. "That you're amazing and have some values that have fallen out of favor of late, but I still find valuable in the right situation, such as this one." He gambled. "Night Watch would love to see you."

Luna recoiled a little. "Would she?" She frowned softly. "Perhaps. If the need of the Crystal Empire is as dire as you claim, Sister should not object to my assistance. I will come with my personal guard. I would bring the warlocks, but there is a standing decree..."

Silver struck the bottom. It happened so quickly, the fact that he knew it was a dream didn't stop him from being jolted awake, panting for breath and heart racing. He forced himself to lay back down and gently nestle with his wife. Sleep came back to him eventually, and he rested until morning. The message had been sent.

The next day, he reported his visit to Night Watch. "Luna's seeing to getting our pony as soon as possible, and she's coming."

Night raised a brow. "I think that's good, but we should tell Cadance. She's already on edge, let's not spring any surprises on her. Even better would be to make this seem like her idea."

Silver looked doubtful. "I'm not that good at that kind of thing. You?"

Night shrugged. "In either event, we should talk to her. If nothing else, announcing she's coming is the least we can do." She nuzzled him and moved to start making herself presentable for the day, only to have Silver place a hoof on hers.

He quietly kissed along her back as his magic took hold of her brush and began to run it softly through her soft mane. Despite her mild protests, he lavished her with gentle affections while pampering her, leaving her fur glistening in the light, even with his own still disheveled. "You're worth every moment."

She smiled at him even as she prodded him with a hoof. "Thank you, but you're a mess, so sit still, my turn." She grabbed her brush back from his magic, holding it firmly in her teeth. She tamed his wild mane, forcing it to lay smooth and soft along his back, gently tended to his brown pelt, but paused at his tail. "Huh, your tail looks taken care of already." She set the brush aside. "You plan to keep your mother's look?"

Silver blushed lightly at that. "That wasn't by choice at the time. It's that spell. I'd rather let it fade on its own than invite further complications." He leaned in and kissed Night's cheek. "Or you could end up married to someone Great and Powerful."

Night rolled her eyes. "As, uh, charming as your mother is, she's not a stallion, and I prefer those, especially this particular one. Maybe you've heard of him." She leaned in close as she circled him. "He gets into trouble a lot, but he usually works it out in the end. Why, I hear he's tried everything at least once."

Silver wrinkled his nose. "There's plenty I haven't seen or tried."

Night adjusted her glasses. "Good, then we still have things to look forward to, together."

He bumped noses with her, then they left the room together, prepared to meet the day.

"Ambassador Lining," spoke a firm voice of a guard, approaching them. "Your presence is required."

Laying his eyes on him, Silver saw something wrong. There was a faint shimmer around the guard. There was also a distinct feeling of something out of place, tickling him as if he were... "Dreaming..."

"Pardon, sir?"

Night suddenly threw herself forward on wide wings. "We're not going anywhere."

He scowled at her, and in that moment, in his grimaced face, Silver could see something else behind it, like a demon or a ghost. "Princess Cadenza will be ups--" He didn't get to finish. Silver enveloped him in magic and compressed quickly down to the real form beneath it. The visage vanished, revealing a creature of baneful shadow in the pony's place.

The creature hissed and flung itself out a nearby window, vanishing from sight instantly. Night looked to it, then back to Silver. "I'm glad you called for Luna. This is far beyond us." She tapped her hooves softly. "Sixty percent chance we'd end up hurt, captured, or worse if we tried to play heroes about this."

Silver moved ahead, rubbing against Night along the way. "We should get to Cadance. We have to report this too now."

Night moved to walk alongside Silver. "Worse than the changelings. Just imagine if they used their talents for actual subterfuge? Canterlot could have turned out far worse than it had."

Silver grimaced at the idea, but didn't reply directly to it. They went quiet until they arrived in court together. The crier announced them and many faces turned to them. 

The fact that something was increasingly wrong seemed to be leaking out, as many faces held stronger emotions. Fear, hope, and dismay just to start. Cadance gestured them forward. "You look like you have something I need to hear. Please, come forward, Ambassador, and I hope it's good news."

Silver nodded to her. "Mostly. Princess Luna has mobilized to find her, in addition she will be coming shortly to help defend the Empire at your side." He dipped his head towards Cadance. "Equestria is, as ever, ally to the Crystal Empire, even in these dark times."

A ghost of a smile played across her lips. "We're gladdened to hear it, but you said mostly. Tell us the bad news, Ambassador."

Silver gestured out to the hallway. "They are growing more bold. One attempted to redirect us away from the court, possibly to a fresh ambush."

The murmuring of the gathered ponies was tense. What hope was brought with the coming of Luna was squashed mercilessly at the bad news. Cadance grit her teeth. "Were they alone?"

Silver nodded quickly. "Just one, your majesty."

Cadance took a silent but deep breath. "Thank you, Ambassador. We won't quickly forget Equestria's decisive efforts, or its talented agents."

He was dismissed. Silver nodded once more to her and turned away, Night trailing after him. Once outside he sat down beside the wall. "It's not easy pretending I know how to behave like that."

Night raised a brow behind her thick glasses. "You did a passable job winging it." She exposed a fang. "You don't even have wings."

Silver snorted at the joke. "That was awful, thank you." He leaned over and kissed her snout. "What can we do now?"

Night's own wings ruffled. "We do have other duties. We could see to them. We're not hunting shadows, afterall. Let's see how the farming effort is coming along."

That sounded more pleasant to Silver, and he rose to trail her instead. As they approached the exit of the castle, she took out her leash and looked him straight in the eyes. "I want you to know I'm not doing this to mock you, or imply you're wicked." She clipped it onto him. "I'm doing this because I'm scared. I love you, Silver Lining. I don't want you snatched away from me."

Silver gave a slow nod at her and kissed her nose. "I'm safer with you nearby, my beloved guardian and treasured wife." He threw a leg over her and squeezed. "And my best friend."

Night blinked at that, looking confused. "I think that's the first... I've never been a 'best friend' before. We're mates aren't we?"

Silver tilted his head at her. "If your wife can't also be your best friend, then you either have too many great friends to pick from, or something's wrong." He nuzzled at her gently. "You are all those things, and others beside. I hope I'm your best friend too."

Night smiled timidly as if cowed by the sentiment. "Y-yes, of course. I mean... what about your actual friend, from the human world? Why isn't she your best friend?"

Silver perked an ear. "She's a good friend, but I don't go to sleep beside them, wake up with them, or face the trials we do together. That's what being partners is, I think. We should be best friends."

Night offered no more resistance, leading the way with an unsure smile as they headed towards the suburbs of the city.